


Angel's Voice

by ArcMages



Series: Gifted Voice [2]
Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2019-11-07 21:51:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17968691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArcMages/pseuds/ArcMages
Summary: ❝ He would be the hero who would work his hardest to become the person Tenn-nii would be proud of after years when they'll finally meet again. ❞Riku swore he would reunite with his brother who left him years ago for being dangerously gifted.However, Tenn never knew that Riku also holds magic.





	1. The Path He Chose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's here! This story can be read separately from Devil's Voice but it is by no means, a sequel. This is simply the same storyline, from Riku's perspective. So you can read whichever, whenever.
> 
> I wrote Devil's Voice in November 2018 when I was first starting to write fanfiction so I have much improved since then but I will try to retain the word count which was about 1k - 1.5k for each chapter.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy!

Why did Tenn-nii leave? Where did he go?

These questions replayed in his head, over and over. And whenever he asked his mother or father, they would reply that it was for the good of everyone. 

Everyone?

It sure didn't feel like that to Riku. Since Tenn-nii had left with the strange man, Riku had only suffered. The house became more silent. He started to played outside by himself. He walked to school by himself. He ate dinner, got dressed in the morning, did his homework, and watched TV all alone. He had no one to consult his problems to. He had no one to cry to. He had no one to look up to.

Riku spoke less since the disappearance of his twin brother. He raised his hand less in school and became distant from his friends. When his parents asked him what had happened at school, he would reply with a shrug. He lost his motivation to do his homework and study for tests. There was no one to ask for help or to work on the problems with. His parents were always at work. Or when they were home they would drink away their stress. He heard that their shop was having troubles financially, whatever that meant. One day, the teacher held him back from recess and told him, "You can't keep this up. You'll fall behind in school early."

He only nodded and went to the school library instead of joining the other kids in their game of tag. Upon doing this, he found great escapes called books. They brought him into someone else's world, someone else's life. He could read about the character's problems and how they conquered over it. Sometimes, they used their wit and outsmarted the villain. Sometimes, they held a sword and simply cut through the barrier.

Riku wanted to overcome his villain. He became motivated. Instead of sitting around and moping, he could be the hero of the story. In many of the stories, the characters had lost their siblings too. Sometimes, they would search after their brother or sister with clues and would piece them together. Sometimes, they didn't search. Instead, they would build themselves up and bump into them years later. 

Riku wasn't sure which way his path would lead him to Tenn-nii.

One day, he heard someone crying in the hallway. He put down his book and took a look for himself out of curiosity. A young girl with light hair was rubbing her face, wiping away the tears, with the back of her hands. No one else was in the hallway since they were all out for recess. Riku stepped out into the hallway and stopped in front of her. "Uhm... Hello."

The girl stopped in her tracks. She managed to squeak out through the soft pitch of her shaking voice, "My hand... It hurts. H-He pushed me and..."

Riku didn't ask who did it. He gently grabbed her arm and lifted it up to get a look at it. At first glance, nothing seemed wrong with it. In fact, she appeared in perfectly fine shape.

Riku winced and let out a slight whimper as he suddenly felt a pang of rippling pain in his own wrist. But it only lasted for a split second. It was then he knew what was going on. "Hold on," he said and led her to the wall where they sat down side by side against it. 

With her arm in his hand, he used his other hand which hovered over her injured one. He let out a quiet, light note past his lips. A lime green glow formed around her hand and his. After a quick moment, the girl stopped crying. A smile of astonishment appeared on her face as she let out a gasp. The green glow diminished. 

Riku smiled at her. He let go of her hand and wiped the last of her tears from her cheek. "Feel better?"

"Yeah!" The girl responded. She felt her own wrist and moved her fingers, testing it. "Thank you!"

Riku let out a small laugh. He felt a warmness flood through his chest. A feeling he hadn't had since the day Tenn-nii had left. It didn't matter how he had healed her or if he was special. It was at this moment, Riku had made the decision which path to choose. 

He would be the hero who would work his hardest to become the person Tenn-nii would be proud of after years when they'll finally meet again.

* * *

 

"Rikkun! Dinner's ready..." Tamaki's lazed voice sounded through the hallway of the shared house.

"Coming!" Riku called. Without taking a final look at the photo of him and Tenn-nii when they were younger, he shut the photo album and shoved it in his bookshelf which was located right next to his bed. He stood up and made his way out of his room, down the stairs, and into the kitchen. There, he was greeted by his fellow idols.

"Oi Riku!" Yamato, the planned leader of the group, greeted him. He had a white apron on and was holding a sizzling frypan in his hand. He stood between the counter and the stove. "We're having omurice tonight. That's your favorite, right?"

Riku smiled. He hopped onto an elevated stool, the last one open of the four, and propped his elbows up onto the cold counter. "Yup!"

Sougo already had his omurice in front of him. He grabbed the hot sauce from the middle of the counter and dumped a series of drops on top, flooding it. He then took a scoop into his mouth. "Delicious! You're quite the chef, Yamato."

Yamato set the omurice from the frypan onto a plate which was set out in front of Riku. "Here you are." Somehow, magically, this omurice was made perfectly with no burnt edges. Not even a single grain of rice was out of place. 

Riku thanked him and took a bite. "It's delicious, as always!"

As he enjoyed his dinner, he could hear his friends behind him in front of the TV. Mitsuki flipped through the channels while taking a sip of his wine. He took a stop at a music show in which three idols preformed on stage to electronic music.

Riku knew this song very well. In fact, he knew all of TRIGGER's songs from heart. And it wasn't like he was a diehard fan. He took a particular interest in this idol because of Tenn-nii. He recalled the first time he heard news of TRIGGER and it's members just a couple of years ago. His heart had come to a stop upon hearing Tenn's name. Except, it wasn't the Nanase Tenn he knew. It was Kujo Tenn now. However, Riku could recognize the face anywhere. In fact, his hair hadn't changed at all since they last saw each other.

"Damn, their music is great!" Mitsuki hollered.

"Big brother, do not throw your cup in the air." Iori said. He sat on the same couch with Mitsuki.

"NO! How about we watch some Magical Kokona instead?!" Nagi announced.

"SHUSH!" Mitsuki shouted back, "I want to hear what they have to say!"

The song had ended, it seems they tuned in a bit late. Tenn Kujo stood in the center with the mic in his hand. He waved at the audience, smiling like an angel. "Thank you everyone! To our fans, to music bank, to the people just leaving their TV on! We will work hard to satisfy you. For with each show, we're only working harder!" The audience then cheered in the background.

"A cute young man blabbing out sweet words of thanks." Mitsuki huffed. "That's all every idol group needs to succeed." 

"Right. Then you take that role." Tamaki said from the side. He had a King Pudding in his hands instead of omurice.

"That's Riku's job! He's going to be our center!" Mitsuki spat back. It wasn't that he wanted the role, but his insecurities got to the best of his anger sometimes.

Riku laughed. Being with his friends drained him of his worries, even when Tenn-nii was right on the TV. He wondered when he'll tell them the truth of his brother and how they would react. But it didn't bother him at the moment. That would be for later. Now, he lived in the moment with his best friends. The friends he bonded with in such a few days after meeting each other upon receiving information that they were accepted into the new idol group. One that they promised to put their best into and exceed the manager's expectations. One that looked up to TRIGGER and Re:Vale. Though they weren't fully sure if they could surpass the legends, they sure secretly hoped so.

And Riku knew he was one step closer to reuniting with his twin brother. To save him from the secrets in which he wasn't supposed to know.


	2. The Angel Herself

_Gorgeous. White. Her behemoth figure radiated before his small body in the heaven-like scenery of clouds and sky. But it wasn't like the sky provided a ceiling for him. He was in the sky, so it seemed by the vast light blue and shine surrounding him. Translucent puffs were scattered about, being pushed by the slight wind. Around his feet, clear, sparkling water coated the indistinguishable floor off which stretched out infinitely_

_The 13-year-old boy's hair was messy, he was wearing the same oversized pajamas that he had changed into just before he found himself here. It had happened in an instant. He'd been in the midst of packing his bag for the next school day in his room when his head started to feel dizzy. He figured he was just sleepy, the black particles started to settle in his field of vision. Before he even knew it, he had blacked out. And when the blackness had faded, he opened his eyes to this._

_The unfamiliar woman stood before him just a few meters away. She must've been at least five times his size. She had feathery wings which spread out for what must've been longer than twice her size on each side. Her long, silver hair and plain, loose dress flowed in the slight wind. She kept her hands behind her back and smiled at him. "Riku," she greeted him._

_Undeniably, she gave off a holy aura with the dim halo floating above her head. Riku couldn't help but to feel peaceful around her, unafraid. He felt like he could be friendly towards her. "That's me!" he replied, "And who... Who are you?"_

_"I'm your angel," she said, her voice was like a music note itself. It was clear and soft. Riku figured her answer was logical hence the wings and halo. He had heard about them from many stories he's read but never had he thought they would be real. He didn't bother to question in depth what she had meant, he figured he had a good idea from the books._

_"Still, I wasn't expecting  you to arrive so young..," she put a finger to her chin, probably questioning something internally._

_"Huh? What do you mean?" Riku asked. He then bent over and glided his fingers over the water, playing with it a bit. "What is this place? It's really pretty!"_

_"Isn't it?" The angel remarked, she had dodged his first question. "I supposed you could call it heaven."_

_As Riku nodded at her words, he crouched down to feel the white flooring underneath the water, she grinned a bit. Something was on her mind._

_"Ne, angel-sama," Riku said, "What can I call you? Do you have a name?"_

_"S-sama?!" The angel seemed to fluster a bit. Her pale face went a bit pink. "I guess you could call me just 'angel'... No need for honorifics." Her lips pursed._

_Riku let out a small laugh at her reaction, "Okay, angel!" He then stood up and cocked his head. His hands were wet from submerging them in the water, some drops fell back to the floor. "Did you bring me here?" he asked, wondering if he had somehow died. That's what heaven was for, right? The passed?_

_"I might've... But I assure you, you're only here temporarily in your own head," the angel responded. Riku figured that meant he wasn't dead, and more just having a dream. She continued, "There's something I need to tell you. About you and your brother. I'm not sure if you're mature enough to handle it though..."_

_"You know about Tenn-nii?" Riku's eyes glittered. He felt a spark of note and desperation, "I'm old enough to understand! Don't worry! I'm 13-years-old after all."_

_The angel snickered after that response though Riku wasn't sure why._

It was then when Riku had learned about him and Tenn-nii. The truth that his parents had hid from them since they were born, yet he still kept quiet about it. He learned the truth as to why Tenn-nii had left, what he  was trying to hold back from this whole time.

The two were born as wielder's of heaven and hell. The angel lived in his body while Tenn had gotten the devil, purely by chance. With the angel's abilities, Riku could manipulate emotions to make one feel more relieved or content and he could heal physical wounds. Riku knew he could do this for practically his whole life, that he was special. But he didn't frequently use his abilities, he didn't want to be unique. He didn't want to be an outcast for being different. According to the angel, Tenn could manipulate people's thoughts and actions. It didn't sound so bad at the time, until a couple of years later she had described it as stealing souls.

Five years later, Riku still didn't know why it was him and Tenn that had been the one's to end up wielding such supernatural abilities. But it didn't matter. There was no way to reverse it. 

When Riku had first heard of TRIGGER's debut on the news, he had found himself in a state of shock. Why, he questioned, why would Tenn-nii steal the souls of the people who listened to his voice? What sort of intention did he have behind it? But instead of pondering on these questions, Riku had decided to audition for an idol group himself. He would reach out to Tenn-nii through fame, and restore the hearts of the people who's souls were "stolen." He would spread the feeling of serenity and happiness through his singing voice. And eventually, he would reunite with Tenn and learn his motives.

Riku waved his hand through a wisp of white which was supposedly a cloud up close according to the angel. He faced her. She hadn't changed her appearance one bit since they had first met. "I wanted to visit you today to tell you that I'm preforming at the same venue as Tenn-nii for a music show," he said, trying to hold back the utter excitement bubbling in him.

"You do know I can see everything you see, right?" the angel teased. "Well, I'm awfully happy for you!"

Riku's face went red. He shook his head in embarrassment and continued on, "I'm going to try to talk to him... It's been more than 8 years though, I wonder how different he'll be."

"You should be wary around him," the angel responded, her tone had darkened. "I'm not for sure, but I think the Devil's voice has dangerous effect on you."

Riku just gave her a reassuring smile, "Tenn-nii wouldn't hurt me, don't worry about it! Plus, it'll be a friendly reunion." But deep inside, he did feel uncertain about Tenn. After all, he still didn't have all the answer's he needed.

* * *

In the large venue where the KingProducer awards took place, Riku straightened out his white costume in front of the vanity mirror and desk which was located in the middle of a whole row of them in a room he shared with the rest of the IDOLiSH7 who were preparing with separate stylists. He smiled to himself and took in a deep breath, making sure his lungs were holding up properly. In just about forty minutes, the show will start. The thought that Tenn would see him through the livestream made him nervous.

A raven-haired male placed a hand on Riku's shoulder, grabbing his attention. Riku turned to see Iori Izumi standing a bit close to him. "Are you alright?" Iori asked.

"Yep! Don't worry about it," Riku replied. And in truth, he meant it. Physically, he felt fine and motivated.

The rest of IDOLiSH7, including the manager, knew of Tenn being Riku's twin brother. To an extent, they knew that Tenn had left the house at an early age but they didn't know anything beyond that. They didn't know about the devil nor angel, they didn't know that the two hadn't spoken for almost 10 years.

"Good," Iori said. He then suggested to grab water from the vending machines down the hallway. Riku agreed, along with Nagi and Mitsuki who had overheard. Tsumugi insisted she tag along to pay for the rest of the members also despite them telling her to stay behind to monitor the room.

Together, the five exited the room and headed down the hallway, towards an intersection. They weren't familiar with the venue so they would just have to walk around and search for the vending machines. 

Mitsuki balled up his hands as they walked, "Agh, I'm so nervous!"

"You'll all do great, I trust you!" Tsumugi reassured him with her sweet voice.

Riku let out a slight chuckle, "I guess we all can't help but to feel nervous, huh?" Especially himself, he felt it too.

Just then, a single note was heard. It flowed through the hall from around one of the corner's just a few meters away from them. Riku turned to his friends who had stopped in their tracks. Each of their eyes were blank, lifeless. They didn't move. A sharp pain went through Riku's chest, he coughed lightly a couple of times and clutched his chest.

 It was the familiar lyrics that came next which brought on a lightbulb to his head. It was Tenn's voice! He must've been warming up for the performance. The pain in Riku's chest eased away like a flickering candle.

He then darted down the hall, his heart leading the way, and stopped at the corner where he saw a male with his back against the wall. Though the white bangs hanging on the side were covering his face, his lips closed and there a moment of tenseness. He seemed to be panting ever so slightly.

"Tenn-nii?" The name had slipped from his lips. His heart pounded heavily in his chest, nervousness arising within. This was the moment, the one that Riku had been dreaming of since the day Tenn had left. Yet, all of the words he had to say to his brother had all disappeared. 

What happened next had left Riku almost speechless. Tenn lifted his weight from the wall and made his way past Riku, not making any eye contact. He headed down the hallway opposite of where Riku's companions were without saying anything. 

"Wait..," Riku whispered, watching Tenn walk away. Another wave of pain spread in his chest, like a heartbreak, except it felt like it was actually happening. Riku dropped to his knees, clutching his chest, he took in heavy breaths. The pain burned, traveling from his heart to his throat. 

"It hurts..," he whimpered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I should have uploaded devil's voice over time instead of doing it all at once eheh.  
> Well, Devil's Voice readers, you can already see the major differences between the two stories.~
> 
> I made a twitter! @newtexe - if you ever need to contact me, find me there.


	3. Performance Stolen

Breathe.

Deep, calm, slow.

With the inhaler between his lips, he pressed down and allowed the air to get into his lungs. His breathing began to steady. The stinging in his chest didn't ease immediately, that wasn't an effect of the asthma. But he endured it. The fresh flow of air in his lungs seemed to have calm him. 

Riku brought down the inhaler and looked up at his friends who were all intently staring at him in concern. Some were biting their lip, many let out a sigh of relief to see Riku back in his normal state. He grinned shyly, "Sorry, everyone. I swear, I'm fine now."

"Thank goodness!" Tsumugi nearly fell to her knees. The shake in her voice was clearly definable. The TV behind her played a livestream of the KingProducer show. Currently, another smaller group was starting the show off. IDOLiSH7 was due to be on in 5 more performances. 

Iori shook his head from the side. "Riku, was this attack sudden? You need to let us know when you're not feeling well." His tone was heavy with concern. Typical of him.

"Don't worry about it!" Riku replied with an innocent smile, "I promise, it wasn't serious." That was a lie. He didn't even think it was an asthma attack. More of breathing troubles from the panic of the sudden pain in his chest. He thought about the angel's suspicions. That maybe, Tenn was dangerous. But he didn't want to believe it. He couldn't.

Mitsuki darted into the room, he had a mountain of water bottles piled up in his arms. He dropped them all onto the floor upon seeing his friend. "Riku!" He shouted, "Goddamnit, I would hug you but my arms are literally frozen!"

The rest of the group giggled at the shorter male. Tsumugi gathered the water bottles from the floor and started handing them out to the members, she thanked Mitsuki for his service.

Riku took the bottle as she held out one to him. "Thank you." He then took in a gulp. Staying hydrated would be the best way to keep him in his well-state before the show.

The idol group on the stage bowed to the audience and headed off. The commentators then stepped on and talked about unique aspects of their show. They then introduced the next performance. IDOLiSH7 was due to be on in 4 shows. They had to hurry backstage if they wanted to be fully prepared. They were already late. And Riku knew it was his fault. 

Upon arriving backstage, the venue staff safely clipped the microphones onto their ears and had them gather in a certain area where they could be escorted out onto the stage smoothly without any traffic. By the end of this procedure, they were up in 2 shows. 

Tamaki made his way up to the front where he could take a peek out onto the stage. His eyes seemed to be searching for something. Riku didn't ask, Sogo was already on the move to bring him back. 

Riku felt skin brush against his arm. He brought his eyes up to meet up with Iori's who shifted awkwardly. He rose a brow and grinned a bit. Iori's face was half lit up by the light from the stage but also from the darkness behind.

"Don't worry about it," Riku whispered. The mics were disabled for the time being while they were still backstage so talking was on the clear. He didn't need Iori to be anxious for him. He felt perfectly fine, after all. No troubles were in sight.

Iori's eyes showed concern. He bit his lip. "I can't help it."

Riku nudged him gently. He took Iori's hand into his own and squeezed it, giving reassurance.

Once the group before IDOLiSH7's had finished their song. Tsumugi clapped her hands together and shut her eyes as if she were begging for a success. "Good luck you guys! I know you can do it!" Yamato gave her a thumbs up. Mitsuki took in one last gulp of water. The commentators stepped onto the stage. After a brief talk of how well the group had done, they then welcomed IDOLiSH7 to the stage.

"And next up, is the rookie group well known for their energetic performances! Soon to make it up onto the charts! IDOLiSH7!!"

That was their cue. The group of seven ran onto stage, waving their hands at the vast audience. Yamato took center. "Hello! Everyone!" He shouted, his voice boomed through the speakers. The crowd cheered in response. Riku wondered how much of the audience were actual fans, he knew 90% of the sea must be here for TRIGGER. Yamato continued his greeting. "I hope you're all having an entertaining night. And as IDOLiSH7, we're here to only make it better. So please, we hope you enjoy our performance! Here is our debut song, MONSTER GENERATION!"

They then got into their positions, Riku taking the center. The lights dimmed. The audience cheered, blocking out the silence.

With a sudden beat, the music started, their voices synchronizing with it with the first line. Their hands thrusted into the air, they pointed upwards.

Riku was prepared. He delivered the first solo line with ease, adding the spirit into his voice. This was the first chance he had to release the angel's power to a wide-spread audience.

As the members switched roles on the stage, Riku felt his throat tightening. He lessened the energy required in the dance, preserving it to last through the rest of the song. 

_This can't be happening already. I felt perfectly fine just seconds ago..._

The stinging in his chest crept back. He took in deep, slow breathes whilst following the choreography. His eyes glanced around at the rest of the group. Tamaki was moving slower than usual, his head turned from side to side. 

_What is he looking at?_

_It's just one song, we can do this!_

He delivered another solo line, pointing his finger at the audience, and pulling in a deep breath of air after. The heat of the lights burned down on his face. Riku then shifted his glance to Iori who was also eyeing him. He felt his legs get heavy, the dance moves were starting to burden him.

_Don't look at me. Focus on the song, Iori._

But his internal message didn't reach. And through the constant movement, he wouldn't be able to. He couldn't control the minds of other people. He wasn't Tenn. Iori's worried face took over as Riku attempted to maintain his breaths steady. It was like his body was forcing him to fall. But he fought back. 

He couldn't fail his manager. He couldn't fail his friends. He couldn't fail their fans.

Only 30 seconds left of the song remained. He could pull through. Riku kicked his feet into the air and did a spin. But it was slow and lacking. He kept a smile on his face to cover for the deficiency of energy. But even a simple smile while forcing his voice hurt.

_What is happening to me?_

The seven then delivered the final line together and struck their poses to finish off the song. The audience cheered as the music shut off. Riku's chest rose up and down as he dragged the air into his lungs, sweat poured down his neck. The pain in his chest burned with each breath. The hot air attacked his face, inviting black particles into his vision.

He wanted to fall. He wanted to reach for Iori or Yamato, the two next to him, and release his weight. He wanted his inhaler. He needed it. He wanted to call for help.

But instead, he forced his hand into the air and shouted with one last push of air, 'thank you!'

And with that, Iori shot to his side and walked him off of the stage along with the rest of IDOLiSH7. Riku's eyes kept in front of him as he passed through the curtain and disappeared backstage.

Tsumugi rushed to his side. She had his inhaler in her hands. He took it without hesitation and pressed down, pressuring the air through. But it didn't stop the pain surging through his chest which spread up to his throat. A staff member wiped the sweat off of his face and neck, but it didn't remove the heat that was building up beneath his skin. He brought a hand up to his chest. The oxygen was cut off. He felt hands grab him aggressively as he lost feeling in his legs.

The blackness reached out for him. Then, there was nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this chapter is poorly written, my excuse is that I'm sick and was watching The Good Doctor while writing it. Apologies!


	4. Secret Affliction

"You're back."

The angel's soothing voice greeted him.

Riku brought his head to see the vast blue sky which surrounded the two. Immediately, he could notice there was something different about the scenery. The clear water still ran, there were still an abundance of wisps floating around. But the light was dimmer. While it still had a sweet brightness that coated the landscape, the shadows had become less dark. He didn't have to adjust to the light as much as he had used to. He wondered if this was just something with his own eyes.

"Something feels different here," Riku said.

The angel let out a slight giggle. "So you first point out the slight change in scenery over what just happened before you arrived?"

Oh, right. The last thing he remembered was the dreadful chest pain he had sustained while preforming on stage. He recalled forcing himself to keep together. The feeling of wanting to collapse. The horrible heat and sweat dragging him down.

_I must've passed out._

Riku's eyes widened. "And I promised Iori I would be okay..."

Angel sat down in the air, crossing her legs. "That Iori guy... I'm getting strange vibes from him."

"What do you mean?"

"I think he likes you. As in, more than a friend."

"EH?!"

"It's just a theory!"

Riku shook his head. There was no way his friend would have feelings for him. After all, they were just friends. And friends worry for each other. He tried to brush off the thought but he couldn't help but to blush a little. He buried his face in his hands. 

 _The angel's just playing with you!_  He tried to convince himself. And it wasn't uncommon for her to poke fun at him since he flustered easily.

"You just went through some sort of internal crisis," the angel pointed out. She let out a laughter. "How cute."

The topic had to be switched. Riku didn't want to continue being in his state of fluster. So what was the topic beforehand..? Right! "Do you know why I passed out?" Riku asked.

Her eyebrows furrowed. "It's Tenn," she blatantly replied. "There's no other explanation. Physically, you're supposed to be fine aside from the asthma."

"Tenn-ni wouldn't bring me any harm," he replied with a smile. "He's my brother."

"I don't think you should stay near him. Don't chase after him," the angel kept pushing at Riku. Her tone had a hint of concern. "He can only hurt you."

Riku couldn't come up with a reply. He wanted to be with Tenn. To reunite with him. That was his goal from the start, ever the house had become empty of him. He couldn't grasp on the idea that it wasn't safe. Or that the best idea would be to keep his distance. That would only make Tenn appear as if he were some sort of monster. And he's not.

"Did you get hurt?" Riku asked. "When I found Tenn-ni?"

"All of your pain, I can feel," The angel replied. She bit her lip. "But it's okay. I'm practically indestructible."

Riku's lips parted upon hearing that. A sea of grief washed up in him. "I'm so sorry..."

"Don't dwell over it," she shrugged. "Anyway, I think you should head back now."

Riku watched as the scenery faded from his sight and shifted to darkness. Upon opening his eyes, he was met with a bright white light hitting down on his face and the faces of two friends, Iori and Mitsuki. They both smiled widely as he blinked a couple of times to adjust to the light of the room.

"You guys..!" Riku let out, more than happy to be greeted by them waiting for him.

"Riku!" The two both sighed in relief in sync. How brotherly. Mitsuki threw his hands around Riku's shoulders and pulled him into a tight squeeze. "Twice! You fainted twice within arriving to the venue! Why didn't you tell us you weren't well?!" he sobbed into Riku's ear. 

Riku placed a hand onto the smaller male's back and pulled himself up into a sitting position. He looked around the dressing room to see no one else was around. "I didn't see it coming at all, I swear," he said. "Where is everybody?"

"They're packing up," Iori replied. "We'll be heading onto the bus soon. I got your items." His glance shot over to his older brother as he cleared his throat. Mitsuki pushed himself back and pointed a tongue out at Iori who blushed uncomfortably.

"Thank you," Riku said. He figured that meant the show was over. It was then he wished that he could've been at least conscious to see TRIGGER's performance. But nope, he just had to be knocked out for a good extra few minutes. He wondered how much time had passed since IDOLiSH7 had preformed. "Did TRIGGER win?" he asked.

"As always," Mitsuki huffed. The shorter male didn't have a thing for hiding his emotions. "They do good shows. Especially Tenn Kujo acting all adorable on stage. He's awfully different in real life though. No offense?"

Riku let out a laugh. Just as he was about to ask what had happened between the two, a nurse stepped into the room. Mitsuki and Iori gaped at the sight, though Riku had no idea why. "Nanase Riku?" she asked.

"Right! That's me," Riku replied. 

As the nurse pulled over a chair beside the bed and set a medical box on her lap, Iori and Mitsuki shot glances at each other while Riku just stared blankly at the two in confusion.

 

Soon to be reunited with the rest of IDOLiSH7 who were already settled in the tour bus awaiting the three, they were all on their way to the tour bus in the garage at the back of the venue. A few other tour buses were still sitting around— likely for the performances that came in last on the line. It was night. The dark sky had kicked in since they last saw the world outside, making the glow of the sparse garage lights deepen their golden pools. 

As they exited through the doors together, Iori said something to Riku that caught him off guard a bit.

"Nii-san and I saw Kujo Tenn after the show today. We—"

"You saw Tenn-nii?!" Riku asked, startled. He then realized that his voice had been rather loud, causing it to echo throughout the rest of the garage. Awkward. Hopefully no one heard that.

"Yeah, he's awfully cold for a—" Iori started to reply but then a sudden loud shut of a door sounded throughout the garage. Man, these echo really worked against the odds of everyone didn't it. "... Supposedly sweet idol on TV," he finished.

"Be quieter you guys!" Mitsuki said to them in a hushed growl. "Clearly we're disrupting someone else's silence."

Iori and Riku nodded at the older male. Idols did need their rest after a performance, it was best to be considerate of that. As they made their way across the garage and to the tour bus, Iori explained to Riku (in a more hushed tone) that he and Mitsuki had seen Tenn in the hallway, passing by the room. They had asked him for his assistance to bring over a nurse... "But he didn't even say anything," Iori finished.

Riku let out a slight laugh. What Iori had described gave him mixed feelings. The coldness of Tenn-nii towards a situation in which someone else could've been in danger yet still... "Wait!" Riku shot a look to Iori. "Was he the one who sent the nurse to the room?"

"You think?" Iori rose a brow. He had his doubts.

"I'm sure of it!" Riku balled his fists up in confidence and smiled to himself as they approached the tour bus where the rest of IDOLiSH7 greeted him and assisted in taking their bags.

"OWFF—!" Nagi let out as Riku's bag was thrown onto his lap by Tamaki. "Tamaki, you could've thrown it HARDER!"

Tamaki shrugged. "Not my fault we don't have a trunk."

Tsumugi stepped out of the driver's seat to greet the three but instead, she ended up bowing a few times frantically. "I'm sorry Nagi! Everyone in the back! I swear once our budget is higher we'll get a more spacious bus!"

"Look, you made our poor manager worried simply because you can't handle a bit of weight on your legs!" Mitsuki shouted at Nagi, his pitched voice bouncing throughout the garage.

"Nii-san. Quiet down," Iori said calmly and Mitsuki did.

The three climbed into the tour bus. Yamato was seated in the shotgun while Tsumugi located herself back in the driver's seat. Yamato offered to drive but Tsumugi insisted that he and the rest of the members must be tired from the day.

As Riku sat down, Sogo placed a hand on his shoulder. "Riku, are you okay?" his smooth voice asked.

"Yeah, I'm perfectly fine," Riku replied with a smile back at his purple eyes. He then rested against the seat snug and put his head back, looking out of the window as the scenery started to change from a dusty garage to the brilliant lights of the city. The ride back would take about 30 minutes. But he didn't feel sleepy at all, and neither did the rest of IDOLiSH7... well, for the first part of the ride. They spoke of what to get for dinner and eventually agreed on some Chinese takeout.

After about 15 minutes, the bus quieted down. He could hear the slight snoring of what could've been Tamaki in the back. Others must've fallen asleep too. Across from him, Iori was dozing off with the earphones in. Perhaps they wouldn't need dinner after all. Riku watched the colorful spots flash by through the window. But in the midst of the lights, he saw Tenn-nii's matured face also looking through as if Riku's side was the scenery. Riku pressed his hand to the window, feeling the cold press to his skin as his red eyes looking straight into Tenn's faded purple ones. 

"Tenn-nii..." he muttered, the feeling of longing coursing through his chest. 

"Our paths will find each other, someday."


	5. Song Troubled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been more than half a year but I swear I never actually abandon stories— I'm kidding. This story is not abandoned I was just busy. Still am.

After a quick period of rest, IDOLiSH7 had finally received their next comeback song.

Natsu Shiyouze: a catchy, energetic title track accompanied with a vigorous, high stamina performance to lift the spirits of the audience. A perfect concept for the summer.

For the next month, the group had worked hard to complete the song recording and memorizing the dance. And towards the end of the month, they had taken a trip to the beach to film the music video. All there was left to do was to master the performance for future promotions, and then release it for Japan to hear. 

Tsumugi had put away the music sheets into her office before heading out for the quick work-vacation since there was no need for them anymore. And little did she know that leaving them behind would be a great mistake for the idol group while she drank her sweet pina coladas next to the beach while the boys enjoyed their time hanging out on the sand in the sunset after the music video shooting had finished. 

Right when the group had arrived back in Tokyo, Tsumugi went straight to her office to drop off their passports in the safe and grab the key to the dorms. The rest of the group swarmed into the small office, some resting their legs on the available couches. Except Tamaki. He was left asleep on the van. And Nagi had to stay and watch over him which was the result of a rock-paper-scissors game.

"I'm beat," Riku said as he slouched forwards, resting his arms on his legs. "That was so fun yet so energy-draining." It barely felt like the vacation was over. 

"Let's make sure we all get enough rest before the release and promotions start. I'm sure that'll be a week from now," said Yamato. He then turned to the blonde shuffling through papers frantically on her desk. "Right, manager?"

Tsumugi looked up from her cluttered desk with a look that clearly showed dread on her more-than-evident face. Her mouth was hanging down as if she were going to respond but decide to not last minute. The boy group gave her questioning stares all in sync. Riku could practically see the blue lines of apprehension under her eyes. "Manager?" he asked.

"We have a problem. . ," she started. But before she proceeded to explain the situation, she started bowing nonstop with her hands tight together in front. "I'm so sorry, it's my fault!" she cried, her voice shaking.

"Eh?! Calm down! What's wrong?" Riku stood up immediately and grabbed his manager by one shoulder, preventing her thin physique from going down one more time.

"Manager, be professional," Yamato reminded her.

"R-right. . ," Tsumugi looked down embarrassed. She then looked up at the boys with her lips curved downward. "I can't find the music sheet for Natsu Shiyouze. I think someone must've broken in—"

"Are you sure about this assumption, manager?" Iori questioned from the side, his arms crossed. "Perhaps you misplaced it."

"I know I put it in this folder here," Tsumugi said. "But I can't find it. . ! I found the rest of the contents emptied out underneath the desk along with other files." The more she spoke, the more her voice grew more shaky. "And. . . The door was unlocked. But I swear I had locked it— There's no way I wouldn't have!"

Yamato spoke. "It's just the music sheet for the song right?"

"I believe so. . . Nothing else important seems to be missing."

The leader half-smiled. "Well then, that just means we have to release the song early before the music sheets get leaked."

"But how early could we start? You guys need your rest and premiering a show requires new plans for the stage and we already have those scheduled for next week," Tsumugi said, trying to organize her thoughts.

"It's fine, manager!" Mitsuki suddenly said, clenching his fist. "We don't need any extra rest. Right, guys?"

"Right. You can count on us," Iori said in a serious-tone. "We got plenty on vacation."

"Also, I'm sure the fans would appreciate an early release," Riku said sheepishly, considering that he couldn't read the fan's minds. But he sure hoped that he had spoken only the truth and not just a hopeful assumption.

"I suppose we could make it work. . ," Tsumugi said, putting a finger to her chin. She looked the group and balled her hands up with a confident smile which surprised the boys with the sudden mood shift. "Alright! Let's do this! I'll reschedule the premier show to a closer date and send a notice to the fans."

"That's the spirit!" Yamato grinned. He looked back at the rest of IDOLiSH7. "And we will be practicing hard, won't we?"

"Yep!" The six chanted. Riku looked around at his teammates in high spirits. He couldn't help the smile on his face, though it didn't show the specks of worry lurking in him as he wondered how well he would hold up with the asthma. And, if perhaps, the worsening condition of his lungs.

 

On the day before the premier show, Iori had approached Riku in the practice room at the end of the day while everyone else packed up their bags. Riku was in the midst of taking a large gulp of his water when Iori had interrupted him. "Good practice today," the raven-haired male said. "You held up well."

"Oh, thank you. . !" Riku said between light huffs of air. Personally, he didn't think so considering he had to take at least a five-minute break in between every few run-throughs of the song. "Let's both get some rest tonight. Well— not just both— all of us."

Iori chuckled. "Yes." He then stood in the same place for a bit, seeming to contemplate something. Riku, noticing this, took action and asked him what was wrong.

"It's just. . ," Iori replied. "I hope you can hold up tomorrow. It's not like I'm doubting you but preforming in the summer heat outside is different from practicing in the air-conditioned dance room."

"I'll be fine!" Riku said. "It's just one performance of the song and then we get to sit around and discuss the comeback to our fans. Even if it's hot, we'll only be moving for the five minutes length of the song."

"Right, but—" Iori tried.

"Don't worry about it!" Riku said, shutting him down. 

Iori forced a reassuring smile. "Good night," he said as he left the practice room.

 

Riku awoke the next day with high spirits. He had gotten a good amount of rest and was enjoying the early morning with an energy drink to prepare himself more for the event. According to Tsumugi, many fans didn't understand the change in plan but plenty were accommodating. She had told the fans that the switch just fit better with the schedule since she couldn't reveal the truthful reason. And with careful watch of the internet's trending, no trace of a song leak had been found yet.

Later, the rest of IDOLiSH7 had woken up and were all packing into the van with their more simple costumes on to head to the outdoor venue. The drive was a long and anxious one that felt like an hour even though it was, in reality, fifteen minutes. The moment the first member; Yamato, had stepped out of the van, the rest of the group was greeted by the shrieking cheers of their fans. Many had fans and banners which they were using to keep cool but the funny part was that the props had the member's faces on them. Riku waved to a few of them as they stepped onto stage. The heat had already hit harder than he had expected it to but it was nothing to worry about.

"Thank you, everyone!" Yamato said to the audience. "We wanted to start off by saying that we are terribly sorry for the change in schedule. For promotions, we thought it would better if we didn't delay it any further or else by the time promotions ended, summer would have also left us."

He then proceeded to explain their concept and revealed the song name with the help of the other members chipping in with extra comments.

"And without further ado," announced Yamato, "Let's release our song: Natsu Shiyouze!"

The audience cheered wildly as the boys got into their positions. Iori gave Riku a quick glance. Riku caught this and shot him back a reassuring smile. After a couple of moments, the music blasted suddenly and they started dancing.

❝ Breaking! Breaking! Breaking! New World ❞

Riku kept his focus as the main vocal and performed with his fresh energy which was only being more hyped up as the audience cheered. He watched as the fans started jumping up and waving their fan-made banners. Riku sang his lines and jumped about, gliding across the stage whilst trying to keep his breath.

❝ Natsu Shiyouze! ❞

The sun pounded down on Riku. He felt sweat running down his neck with the heat trapped beneath the fabric of his clothes. He took in deeper breaths to balance himself. A little heat wouldn't bring him down. 

But something else would. Something that he had never expected to come about in his wildest nightmares. Riku's attention was caught off-guard when he heard something else playing in the back— the same exact song from an electronic billboard across from the stage. But there was something different about it. On the screen, Ryunosuke flashed on. Soon after, Gaku with his white smile. And then last, Tenn Kujo with his charming appeal. 

TRIGGER had released the same exact song at the same time as IDOLiSH7.

 _Am I hallucinating?_ Riku panicked.  _There's no way. . ._

But there was no doubt, TRIGGER's song was definitely the familiar Natsu Shiyouze.

Upon hearing Tenn's voice in the near distance, Riku felt a pang of pain his chest. He felt his body jolt at the sudden reaction but he regained his balance quickly and continued to dance with a smile on his face.  _This can't be happening again. . !_

On his part soon after, he sang with all of his might, releasing the Angel's Voice to the audience, captivating their senses to the stage. Throughout the rest of the performance, he focused on keeping the fans locked in on IDOLiSH7. His eyes wandered back to the billboard, hoping that it would just shut down. His breath was drawn more and more with each step he took. The heaviness in his chest worsened. It hurt  _physically_  to hear Tenn's voice.

The Angel's Voice was taking a toll on his lungs. The Devil's Voice was directly hurting him. Riku realized he couldn't take it for much longer. It hurt too much.

And at the end of the song, the audience let out a massive cheer while TRIGGER's song still played out in the back. IDOLiSH7 bowed to their fans, thanking them for the support. But it was inevitable that all of their eyes were glued onto the billboard and some of them couldn't keep the exasperated look off their faces. When the cheers died down, the sound of the song in the back became more noticeable.

Riku had no way to prevent this anymore. He was no longer singing since the performance had finished. Nor could he sing anymore— his lungs felt like they were burning, tightening. Sweat poured down the side of his face. He looked out to the audience to see people tied between looking at the billboard or the stage. Tenn's voice rang out once again, capturing every soul like a drug. The Devil's Voice rang through his ears, hitting Riku's last straw when the burning in his lungs turned into a wildfire. He felt his limbs fall loose, his body slamming down onto the stage. He couldn't even feel the collision. His lungs begged for air but the pain in his chest was choking him.

As the world around him started morphing into a black abyss, a single light came forth. The Angel's beautiful face shown as she reached out to him but Riku couldn't extend his hand back. And he swore, right before the world collapsed down on him, he saw Iori's face looking down at him, horrified. 


End file.
